So, is it possible that
the mark is not necessarily used to force
people to take the mark, but more to "smoke
out" those who don't have it?
In Daniel 3, it doesn't seem
that people worship the image totally out of
fear, but rather because the king said to.
By the decree of the fiery
furnace, only those who truly won't worship,
will be the ones standing out.
Only the LORD knows what is in
the heart, so the scheme seems to be
spiritual warfare, designed to expose those
who, in their hearts, won't worship the
image.
In the same way, so does the
mark seem to show, not necessarily the
worshippers of the antichrist, but rather
those who will not worship him.
In other words, it seems to be a
scheme to find those who are written in the
Lamb's book of life.
The lack of the mark of the beast
would identify those not worshipping the beast
so they can be killed. Taking the mark
of the beast would identify those loyal to the
Antichrist who are worshipping him and Satan,
but it will mark them for eternal
damnation. The Lord already knows whose
names are written in the Lamb's book of Life
which is eternal life, and Satan and the
Antichrist are more interested in taking as
many people to hell and the lake of fire as
possible which is achieved through their
worship of Satan and the Antichrist and taking
his mark in the forehead or the right hand in
order to buy and sell.